The Employee Assistance Program is a counseling and
referral service, designed to help you with your personal, job or family problems.
It is staffed by a team of qualified, licensed, mental health professionals.
It is free, voluntary and confidential.

Our trained counselors are prepared to assist you with virtually any issue or
problem that can affect your work performance or personal health. Some of the
most common concerns brought to the EAP include: Emotional, Family, Marital,
Alcohol/Drug Abuse, Job-Related and Legal/Financial.

The decision to begin counseling is an important one. Clients
report both a greater level of comfort and more favorable results when they
understand what to expect from the counseling process. After discussing the
concerns that led you to counseling, you and your EAP counselor will decide
what services are appropriate and develop a plan of action to meet your goals.

Successful counseling is a joint process requiring your motivation
and active involvement. The more actively involved you are, the more effective
counseling will be for you.

In order to benefit fully from counseling:

Attend scheduled sessions

Specify the concerns that led to your decision to seek counseling

Establish with your counselor desired goals and outcomes
to be achieved in counseling

Discuss your progress with your counselor as you go along,
and modify your goals, if necessary

Participate actively, and be as open and honest as possible

Prepare for your sessions

Complete (or at least attempt) any "homework"

Tell your counselor if you don't think you are being helped

Myths and misconceptions about EAP
counseling

Counseling is something that is misunderstood by many people.
These are some common myths about counseling:

MYTH: Counseling is only for people
who have serious emotional problems.

FACT:While counseling does deal
with people who have emotional problems it can also help:

Parents who have concerns regarding their children

Individuals redefining career goals

Couples who want a stronger relationship, or are contemplating
a commitment or marriage

Individuals struggling with grief or loss

Individuals who have difficulty with self-esteem, communication,
or assertion

Individuals having difficulty juggling family, work, and
other responsibilities

MYTH: Seeking counseling is a sign
of weakness.

FACT: There is nothing weak about a person
who seeks counseling. In fact, it takes courage to explore sensitive feelings
and painful experiences. The individuals who enter counseling are taking the
first step in resolving their difficulties.

MYTH: The counselor will tell you
what to do and how to "fix" your problems.

FACT: Counseling is not a "quick fix"
cure to your problems. The counselor is there to help you explore your feelings,
thoughts, and concerns, to examine your options, and to assist you in achieving
the goals you have set.

MYTH: The counselor cannot understand
you unless he/she has had similar experiences or is of the same background.

FACT: Counselors are trained to be sensitive
to and respectful of individual differences, including the specific concerns
of individuals with regard to gender, racial/ethnic, cultural, religious, age,
sexual preference/orientation, and socioeconomic issues.

Confidentiality

Your privacy is protected by strict confidentiality laws and
regulations and by professional ethical standards for counselors. Your participation
in the EAP and the details of your discussions with the counselor will not be
released to anyone, including your employer, without your prior written consent.

Contact
Us

A telephone call is all it takes to request information or
to make an appointment with an EAP counselor. As needed or appropriate, a counselor
will meet with you in a confidential setting and:

Help you assess the problem

Meet with family members

Provide short-term counseling

Assist you in selecting other professional services and
resources within your community

Follow-up to ensure that you receive quality service

For more information, or to schedule an appointment with
a counselor, call (573) 636.8255 or e-mail: Amanda Ritchie, EAP Specialist or Heather Johns, Manager.